Neurocognitive profiles of preterm infants randomly assigned to lower or higher hematocrit thresholds for transfusion |
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| Authors: | Thomasin E. McCoy Amy L. Conrad Lynn C. Richman Scott D. Lindgren Peg C. Nopoulos Edward F. Bell |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Pediatrics , University of Iowa , Iowa City , IA , USA mccoyt@healthcare.uiowa.edu;3. Department of Psychiatry Research , The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics , Iowa City , IA , USA;4. Department of Pediatrics , University of Iowa , Iowa City , IA , USA;5. Department of Psychiatry , University of Iowa , Iowa City , IA , USA |
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| Abstract: | Objective: Preterm infants are frequently transfused with red blood cells based on standardized guidelines or clinical concerns that anemia taxes infants' physiological compensatory mechanisms and thereby threatens their health and well-being. The impact of various transfusion guidelines on long-term neurocognitive outcome is not known. The purpose of this study is to evaluate long-term neurocognitive outcome on children born prematurely and treated at birth with different transfusion guidelines. Methods: Neurocognitive outcomes were examined at school age for 56 preterm infants randomly assigned to a liberal (n?=?33) or restrictive (n?=?23) transfusion strategy. Tests of intelligence, achievement, language, visual-spatial/motor, and memory skills were administered. Between-group differences were assessed. Results: Those in the liberal transfusion group performed more poorly than those in the restrictive group on measures of associative verbal fluency, visual memory, and reading. Conclusions: Findings highlight possible long-term neurodevelopmental consequences of maintaining higher hematocrit levels. |
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| Keywords: | Preterm Neuropsychology Red blood cell transfusion Hematocrit Longitudinal |
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